Broadening Participation in Engineering, Robotics and Computer Science using Zero Robotics
ILC and its partners have established the Consortium for Hispanic and Indigenous Education on Robotics in Space (CHIERS). The work of CHIERS aims to increase the sense of identity and the level of self-assessed competence for Middle School Students, High School Students, Teachers, Informal Educators, Undergraduates and Faculty to participate in education and research linked to computer science and space robotics.
Our partnership with Minority-Serving Institutions will implement a two-part strategy
Increase the number of Indigenous and Hispanic students and educators participating in computer science and space robotics activities
Increase Indigenous and Hispanic students’ self-assessed identity as participants in computer science and space robotic activities
students from the boys and girls club of central florida pose alongside a nasa astronaut as part of the zero robotics middle school competition.
Goals of the CHIERS program
Increase capacity within partner organizations to serve as regional hubs for Zero Robotics and education in computer science and space robotics
Increase participation of Hispanic and Indigenous serving middle and high schools in Zero Robotics
Build community among consortium members, support implementation of projects and drive participation by Hispanic and Indigenous students in space robotics
The CHIERS program is made possible through a partnership with NASA, The National Science Foundation, MIT, Navajo Technical University, Ke’yah Advanced Rural Manufacturing Alliance, California State University Long Beach and Strategic Engagement.
